Game board with hazard pockets



Jan. 2, 1951 F. A. REGENQLD GAME BOARD WITH HAZARD POCKETS Filed Nov. 3, 1947 Patented Jan. 2, 1951 GAME BOARD wrrn HAZARD PocKETs Frederick A. Regenold, Mem his. Tenn, assignor of one-third to Thomas H. Martin and onethird to Zula B. Regenold, both of Memphis,

Tenn.

Application November 3, 1947, SerialNo. 783,733

2 Claims.

This invention relates to game boards, and particularly relate to a game board which has a number of wicket or tunnels through which a ball is to be successively rolled by manipulation of the board, the board having a fiat surface with a path outlined thereon, leading from a starting to a finish point through said tunnels, and traps adjacent the entrance and exit of each tunnel interrupting said path in which, should the ball come to rest, the game terminates, the traps being avoidable by proper manipulation of the board.

The objects of the invention are:

To provide a game including a ball and a board having a succession of tunnels through which the ball may be rolled by manipulation of the board to complete a designated line of travel from one point to another;

To provide a board having a confining rim and a substantially smooth fiat surface on which the ball may be rolled by manipulation of the board, the board having a continuous tortuous path marked thereon from a starting point to a finish point with intermediate wickets or tunnels spanning the path from time to time, each of the tunnels being guarded at its entrance and exit ends by pockets in the board which are adapted to trap the ball and terminate the game;

To provide a board having a smooth fiat surface with a continuous tortuous pathway marked thereon from a starting point to a finish point and tunnels spanning said path at intervals, through which the ball is to be successively rolled by board manipulation,- the path being interrupted adjacent the entrance to and exit from eachtunnel by pockets which must be avoided by manipulation of the board to successfully complete the game, the game being lost by trapping the ball in any one of the pockets; and

To provide a game board having a smooth fiat field surrounded by a confining rim and a ball to be rolled along and about tht board by manual manipulation thereof, the board having marked thereon a tortuous pathway leading from a start ing point to a finish point and from time to time being spanned by tunnels and being interrupted adjacent the entrance to and exit from each of said tunnels by pockets depressed in the surface of the board which must be avoided in the movement of the ball along the pathway.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the board.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line III-III of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, H] is a ball which is disposed on a smooth fiat board i2, preferably of rectangular shape and havin an encircling rim M. Marked on the surface of the board is a tortuous path 1'5 which meanders over the board from a starting point is to a finish point 2d, the starting and finish points being shallow pockets preferably at one end of the board adjacent its opposite corners and the meanders of the path progressing into adjacency to the opposite end and back to the finish point.

Disposed along the path it are a number of wickets 22 which preferably are elongated into short tunnels, by which name they will hereinafter be designated, the path serving merely to indicate the sequence and direction in which the tunnels are to be entered and traversed. Disposed along the line of the path in adjacency to the entrances to and exits from the tunnels and additional to the pockets at the starting and finishing points are similar pockets 26, in any one of which the ball l0 may be trapped.

The surface of the board l2 within the limits of the rim is free from any guiding walls or channel directing movement of the ball toward the tunnels 2'2 and is preferably free from other surface interruptions or obstructions other than the pockets 24.

In play, the object of the game is to roll the ball along the surface of the board from the starting pocket Hi to the finish pocket 29 passing through all the tunnels 22 in the sequence and direction indicated by the path It while avoiding the pockets 24 and is successfully completed when the ball having traversed all the tunnels comes to rest in the final or home pocket 26.

The game is played by placin the ball in the starting pocket l8, dislodging the ball from such pocket by manipulation of the board and by further manipulation causing it to progressively roll through the tunnels in the sequence indicated by the path [6 until it reaches and is lodged in the final pocket 20.

It will also be understood that the wickets may be numbered in sequence and the path to be followed thus indicated.

The ball [0 is preferably a polished steel ball.

I claim:

1. A game which includes a manually manipulatable game board and a ball shiftable thereover by said manipulation, said board having a smooth flat surface, an encompassing rim, a tortuous path indicated on, but not interrupting, said surface, and a plurality of tunnels spanning said path at intervals, said path meandering along and across said board from a starting pointto a, final, point, and having guarding pockets: respectively in adjacency to, but spaced in minor excess of said ball diameter from the entrance and exit endsiof said tunnels, said tunnels having, a cross, section in excess of the cross section of said ball and a length in excess of the distaneeofv said guarding pockets from said entranceand exit endswhereby to interpose guideways between said pockets, said board surface being otherwise uninterrupted by guiding walls or channels.

2. A game which includes a manually manipulatable game board and a ball shiftable thereover by said manipulation; said board having a smooth flat surface, ana encompassing: rim, a tortuous path indicated on, but not interrupting said surface, and a plurality of tunnels spanning said path at intervals; said path meandering along and across said board from a starting point to a final point, and having guardin pockets respectively adjacent to, but spaced in minor excess of said ball diameter from the entrance and exit ends of said tunnels, said tunnels having a cross section; in, excess of thecross: section, of said ball and a length in excess of the diameter of said ball, whereby to interpose guideways between said pockets.

E'REDERICK A. REGENOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 424,321 Ludlum et a1. Mar. 25, 1890 723,498 Svensona Mar. 24, 1903 937,166 McMichael Oct. 1-9; 1909 1,291,105 Parker Jan. 14, 1 919 1,814,971 Seymour July 14', 1931 

